Before the Attack

Jasper's POV 

Sitting in the office, I leaned back in my chair. Absentmindedly, my fingers tapped rythmically against the desk. My mind was restless, consumed by a single thought — Jayden's sudden and persistent care for Mia. It was suspicious and didn't sit right with me in any sense. He was too attentive, too interested in her well-being, and I didn't trust it.

I don't want it. No man should care for her more than I did. I should be the one to care about her. Worry about her. No one else should.

And Jayden wasn't the one to care for women without an ulterior motive. He had been the quiet one, always keeping to himself, and had this shitty belief of "Relationship Is Sacred". The thought of him hovering around her, getting closer to her, made my blood boil.

I had seen the way he looked at her. I knew he had liked her, but I wasn't expecting it to get serious.

Before I could dwell too much on it, my phone buzzed. It was a message notification. My brows furrowed as I picked it up, unlocking the screen. An unknown number.

I clicked on the message and my stomach twisted.

A picture of Mia sitting beside her mother in the hospital. Then message below sent cold shivers down my spine.

You should say goodbye for the last time.

A surge of fear sparked inside. I had never been that scared of anything like that in my entire life. Or I could say the only time I had felt such fear was when my mother was led into the police van when she took the blame for murdering Blake.

Who the hell sent this? My mind raced with different possibilities. Blake. No. It couldn't have been him. If it were him, he would have included his name, gloating like the arrogant bastard he was.

Which meant...

One of my opponents. Someone who held grudges against me, and had chosen Mia as their prey.

Cursing under my breath, I shot up from my chair and grabbed my keys. I needed to get to her. I dialled her number as I stormed out of the office, but it kept ringing, unanswered. My jaw tightened. Damn it, Mia, pick up the phone! I tried again like my life depended on it, maybe my life did depends on it. If Mia was hurt, I doubted if I'd remain the same again. But there was no answer.

With cold dread coursing through my bones, I climbed into my car and sped towards the hospital, the bustling city lights blurring past me. My hands tightened around the wheel, as my mind couldn't help but imagined every worst-case scenario.

If anyone touched a strand of her hair, I swear I'd hunt them down and make them pay.

By the time I reached the hospital, my heart was pounding. I barely had time to think when I saw her on the side walk. Then my world tilted as I spotted the black SUV speeding towards her.

I didn't think. I acted.

Running forward, I pinned her to the ground just as the SUV sped past. My body shielded hers as we hit the pavement, pain rippling through my side, but it was nothing. The screeching of tires echoed through the night, followed by the loud slam of the door opening.

Then I saw him. The man in black with a gun in his hand.

Everything after that was a blur. The shot. The instinct to protect Mia. The chase. But as I gripped my own gun and aimed at the bastard, he fled like a coward, disappearing into the night.

The drive home was tense.

Mia's silence. My anger. My control. The fear still pulsating through my chest like a vice.

The moment we stepped into the mansion, I ordered my men to keep an eye on her at all times. I didn't trust the walls around us to keep her safe enough. Not after what happened tonight.

But I had gone too far in the car. I knew it. The way I spoke to her, the way I snapped, and lastly the way I tried to control her—it was all shades of wrong. I had let my emotions and fear got the best of me and destroyed everything, even without thinking of shocked she must have been from the whole chaos. 

And Mia.... she wasn't someone to be controlled. She was the kind of person that the more you tried to control her the more she slipped away from your grip.

She was fire. Wild and untamed. And I nearly quenched that fire tonight. But I can't be blamed though. I have lost so many good people in my life because of my recklessness— my mother died because of me, my boss was fighting for his life while I was busy fucking some whore. And then, I promised myself —I won't lose anyone ever again. No matter what, I'd protect those that mattered to me.

I let out a frustrated sigh, and ran a hand through my hair. I needed to fix this. 

Squaring my shoulders, I made my way to her room and knocked on the door. When she opened it, her expression was dark. This isn't Mia. Those eyes that once  carried calm aura were now dim. 

"What have you done Jasper?" I scolded myself mentally.

I opened my mouth to talk, but before I could say a word, she did.

"Let's cancel the contract," she said, her voice steady.

Silence fell over us, fear surging through me. For a moment, I considered lashing out at her—reminding her of the clauses in the contract —she isn't allowed to break the contract until after two years. But I knew that would be useless.

Instead I composed myself, nodding. "Alright."

Surprise flickered across her face. She had expected a fight. Expected me to lash out and disagree. But no, I  won't do that. I have a better way to let her know she can't leave. Even after the contract, I'm never letting her go.

“I’ll move out—” she started, but I cut her off.

"No." I met her gaze, holding it firm. "Come with me."

She frowned. "Where?"

"The underground room."